Your Right to Know

WASHINGTON — In a potential breakthrough on an immigration overhaul, President Barack Obama
hinted that he would be open to a reform bill even if it lacked a special pathway to citizenship
for the 11 million people here illegally.

The comments, broadcast yesterday in a CNN interview, raised hopes for bipartisan legislation on
the matter.

Previously, Obama and other Democrats had said that any reform measure should include a
provision to make it easier for immigrants in the U.S. illegally to obtain citizenship.

The president’s comments followed a GOP proposal issued on Thursday that would give immigrants
legal status but no special citizenship process, except in the cases of children brought here
illegally by their parents.

Obama said in the TV interview that he still would prefer a special citizenship path but
signaled that he was open to other approaches.

“If (House Speaker John Boehner) proposes something that says right away: Folks aren’t being
deported, families aren’t being separated, we’re able to attract top young students to provide the
skills or start businesses here and then there’s a regular process of citizenship, I’m not sure how
wide the divide ends up being,” Obama said.

Other leading Democrats have similarly signaled in recent days that the differences with
Republicans on immigration could be bridged to win passage of legislation this year.

Obama stopped short of saying he would veto any bill without a special path to citizenship.

“I’m not going to prejudge what gets to my desk,” Obama said, adding that he doesn’t want to see
“two classes” of people in America.

Immigration advocates said the president’s comments might open the door for a compromise.

“I don’t think (Obama) is throwing citizenship under the bus,” said Angela Kelley, an
immigration expert with the Center for American Progress, a Washington research organization with
close ties to the White House.

“I think he is trying to open the conversation by saying there are lots of ways to get to the
finish line.”